


Search Parties

by ThatHCWriter



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Escape the Night Season 3, Escape the Night Spoilers, F/M, Gen, Investigations, M/M, Missing Persons, Mystery, Poor Everyone, Pregnancy, Promises, Rosanna Pansino & Matthew Patrick Friendship, Teamwork, Unlikely Friendships, eventual hurt/comfort, eventual reunions, outside world
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:54:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 16,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24308554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: They made a pact, the two of them. That if it ever happened again, and if he ever got swept up in it, she would search. Fight. Find the victims and bring them home.--Stephanie didn't think she'd ever need to make good on her promise, until the night when it became clear.They weren't coming home, not without a fight.
Relationships: Joey Graceffa/Daniel Preda, Matthew Patrick/Stephanie Patrick, Ryland Adams/Shane Dawson, Safiya Nygaard/Tyler Williams, The Detective | Matthew Patrick & The Jet Setter | Rosanna Pansino, The Jet Setter | Rosanna Pansino/Mike Lamond, The Savant | Joey Graceffa & Everyone
Comments: 120
Kudos: 63





	1. Happening Again

**Author's Note:**

> Because there aren't enough ETN outside world fics, I decided to write one. Based on my personal headcanon that Steph led the efforts to find the missing folk.

This wasn't actually happening. 

There was no way, he wouldn't do it, he wouldn't be that _stupid _. He said he was off to Ro's, would be back soon. "Soon" came and went, "soon" was hours ago. It would be one thing if he would've called, given her notice, but he just went silent. She couldn't contact him if she tried. Her thoughts went to other things, a car accident on the way home, an emergency at Ro's, anything normal, but someone would've called her, even if he somehow couldn't. As much as she hated it, as much as she shuddered to believe it, but the only real explanation was that it was happening again. They had a plan for this occasion, of course, written out and well-defined just like most things they did. They even discussed how to carry it out, and nearly every contingency they could think of. It was designed to save lives, answer questions, and maybe get some peace of mind for the families involved. It would change the game, through patience, preparedness and reasoning. In that moment, though, logic was coming up short for her as the realization finally kicked in.__

__It had happened a third time, to a third group of influencers, and one of them was her husband. One of them was Matthew. She sat down weakly, head in her hands and shaking in utter disbelief. This wasn't actually happening. How could this actually happen?_ _

__Stephanie gave herself a solid hour to calm herself down. Better now than later, she wagered, people will be depending on her soon. She stared blankly, shook slightly, and cried softly, making little noise, simply giving herself a moment to mourn the new reality, before steeling herself and making her way to her computer._ _

__She took another second when she sat down, running through the plan in her head and on the screen, once, twice, and a third time just to make sure she had every detail just right. She had to, there was too much riding on this to be unsure of anything, much less wrong. As her eyes swept through the plan they'd made, she came across a step that helped another thought enter her mind._ _

__'Notify the families of other suspected victims.' Stephanie suddenly felt sick. Others. There are more, there are always more. If there are more then _who else?__ _

____Then it hit her. Ro. That's where he'd been before all of this started to happen. That's likely where he'd been seen last before.... That was too much to think about in that moment, she was too overwhelmed to go down that train right now, but she had to do something. Mike. Mike was a good place to start.____

_____ _

_____ _

Just as she went to contact him, a notification startled her. It was from a message board, one about the disappearances, containing from-the-source news pertaining to the many missing people of the last few years. A lot of people from the community who knew past victims well were on the forum, mostly to get any semblance of closure. Today's post was very different, though. It was Tyler Williams, who had just made a new post that made Stephanie freeze. 

"I last saw Saf yesterday, and I haven't been in contact with her since. She won't return my calls, answer any texts, give me any sign she's alright. Please tell me this is isolated. Is it only her, or is it happening again?" Stephanie's stomach dropped, as she opened the post and saw replies flooding in. 

"Oh god, none of us have seen Colleen for that long either." -Rachel Ballinger

"You're kidding. JC's that way too."-Kian Lawley

"Ro hasn't responded to me in about the same time. This is bad, isn't it?" -Mike Lamond

Stephanie's heart stopped for a moment, the situation getting more real by the second. She took a deep breath, relaxed as best she could, and started to type a response of her own. 

___"It's Matt too, guys. I can't believe it either, but it's happening again. Now's not the time to mourn, though. That didn't do the others any good, did it? Let's try a different approach, one that might get different results. I need all of you on board for this, though. There's no point in going through this alone," She took a breath, pondering her next words, "Matt and I have a plan. But for it to work, I'm going to need your help."_ _ _


	2. It Gets Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the plan starts to come together, and the first introductions begin, Steph receives news that throws it all out of sync.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just FYI, I might have messed with the timing a little bit, but I did it for the drama, so I hope you can forgive me. 
> 
> TW for this chapter: very vague mentions of vomiting. It's super mild, but I'll put it here anyway.

The first step was to secure a headquarters; somewhere large enough to house the entire operation, and secluded enough that the sudden surge of people to the area wouldn't gain any unnecessary attention. They chose the largest, most well-guarded house available to rent for as long as they needed, electing to split the costs between the group. Stephanie was satisfied with the accommodations, explaining to the group that it served all the purposes it needed to for this to work. It was large enough to sleep a majority of them, essential, Steph thought, the more people that were working to find them, the better. It also was heavily guarded, and call her paranoid, but that was a huge comfort. She remembered talking with her husband during the second incident, the two of them eventually coming to the rather horrifying conclusion that, more than likely, this was just a group of people, carrying out sick plots against popular faces. That's when they agreed that the next time it happened, they needed to get somewhere safe. Very Safe. 

What she failed to tell the others, though, was the final, and likely most important, purpose the house would serve. It got them all away. Away from the relics, away from the houses, away from the memories that lurked around every corner. That was the real reason why Stephanie wanted, no, needed to get to a different place. The memories at their home were getting downright oppressive, leaving her to fall asleep mourning and wake up so nauseous that she barely could make it to a bucket. Once the sun rose, though, she put on a brave face, knowing that helplessness wouldn't help anyone. 

After all, she was there to win an impossible battle, and battles are never won by weeping over lost soldiers. 

Forty eight hours after her initial attempt to reach out, she began to load her necessities into her car, plus a large, heavy poster that had never seen the light of day before that moment. In a huff, she packed the final bag, and shut the trunk, taking a brief moment in front of the house. She hung her head, and made a silent vow. She'd be back, and she wouldn't be alone. 

The drive there was long and silent, music just felt wrong, off-putting in that moment. She arrived at the tall, ornate gates to a guard, uniformed and standing tall. "Yes hello, I've rented this house, with group three?" He nodded curtly, opening the gate and giving a sympathetic smile that, for some reason, irked Stephanie. When she parked and began to unload, it took her a moment to realize she wasn't alone. Standing on the porch, eyes puffy, was a man dressed in all black, right down to the dark ring hanging from a chain around his neck. 

"Stephanie, right? I'm Tyler," His voice was friendly, with only a hint of sorrow. She managed a smile, shaking his hand courteously. 

"I thought I'd be the first one here," Stephanie responded, laughing awkwardly. 

"I wasn't expecting to show up to an empty house, either," Tyler looked at the floor, "I've been in an empty house for way too long lately." Stephanie gave a quiet affirmative, a moment of awkward silence hanging over the two of them. "Do you think he'll come home?" Tyler's voice was weak and he avoided eye contact with Stephanie. Taken aback, she gathered herself for a moment, swallowing hard. 

"I have to. How else could I get through this? He's smart, I have faith in him." Steph impressed herself with the steadiness of her voice. 

"Yeah. Saf is too. She's capable, she's got a shot, right?" Tyler was almost rambling, Stephanie wasn't sure if he even knew what he was saying. 

"You wouldn't be here if she didn't have a shot." She walked past him and into the house, setting down the bag she had on her back. Tyler followed her, eyes wide. 

"How are you doing that?" Tyler asked her. She raised an eyebrow at his comment. "How are you being so confident? I mean, am I just a mess or are you.." 

"You're not a mess," Stephanie cut him off with a humorless laugh, "and no matter what it looks like, I'm doing just as well as any of us could be. I'm assuming you're not so nauseous you can hardly get out of bed in the morning?" Tyler stared at her quizzically. He shook his head, looking over Steph like she had suddenly sprouted a third arm. It made her think, more than she wanted to. What was wrong? What did she miss? 

"Stephanie are you.." She was pretty sure he was going to finish that sentence with "okay," but that's not where her mind went. Not at all. Without a word, she got back in her car, and drove to the nearest drugstore much faster than was legal. She didn't care though, she just needed to know. She grabbed a test from the counter, payed, and wordlessly drove back. 

She thought it couldn't get worse. She knew it couldn't get worse. 

And yet. To her horror. It did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm liking this idea, so hopefully I'll have time to update again soon! Keep the comments coming, as they helped motivate me to get this one out as soon as I did!


	3. The Guest List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Those who answered Stephanie's call begin to arrive at the headquarters, a list she soon realizes is longer than she bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! I will be getting into a lot of characters throughout the fic, but I didn't wanna do an intro dump, so don't fret if your fav isn't directly mentioned here. Hope you enjoy!

The house slowly began to fill with people through the afternoon and into the evening. Stephanie was pretty sure she greeted them all, gave a few hugs, made a few introductions, and hopefully didn't scare anyone away. She honestly wasn't sure. The news, _that damn plus sign _had burrowed itself into her mind, preventing her from thinking of anything else. She felt bad, truly, but she couldn't help it. Awarding sympathy, wisdom, anything but more dread took effort than Stephanie could give at that moment, and, she figured, she would make up for it later. No one said anything however, which was nice, but struck her as odd. Maybe they all were as out of it as she was, maybe this was the new temporary normal.__

____

__As the day went on, and she slowly began to come out of her haze, she took another look at what kind of group she was working with. There were the expected respondents, those who knew and loved the nine people who had gone missing a few short days ago, namely Tyler, who was much more calm now, Mike, who hadn't said a word since he'd arrived, and a gaggle of Ballingers, who were lead somberly by Rachel. There were others in that area, all of which Stephanie was ashamed to admit she didn't recognize. At a point, so many teary faces start to just run together. That group was mostly quiet, with occasional whispers and sniffles emerging from the family clumps that formed quickly around the living room._ _

__There were two people, though, who really caught Stephanie's eye. They were each standing apart from the group, head hung and shoulders tensed to make them look small. It was like they thought they weren't welcome, like they thought they were out of place. The one standing closest to Stephanie tilted her head up and toward the group, revealing just enough for Steph to recognizer her as the girl from the headlines. The girl who made it out. Eva. Stephanie approached her cautiously, noticing her stance tensing further as she stared at the families in the center of the room._ _

__"Hey," Stephanie said, her tone light and non threatening. Eva flinched, but quickly recovered into a smile, turning to Stephanie._ _

__"I'm sorry. I'm intruding, aren't I?"_ _

__"No, no. You read my post, right? I said I needed all the help I can get, and someone who..." Stephanie cleared her throat, catching herself, "Someone with your _experiences _would be very helpful to all of us." Eva turned her eyes to the floor, a somber smile casting over her face.___ _

____"That's what I thought too," she said, drawing a deep breath before looking back at Stephanie, "You know, when I saw your post, I was so impressed and I.. I saw an opportunity. Ever since I escaped, I've been looking for a way to feel like less of a victim. Just, some way to make myself feel useful, like I can say something good came from what happened to us. And this, I think this can do that for me. If you'll let me help, that is." Flooded with sympathy she couldn't fully explain, Stephanie smiled at the survivor, resting a hand on her shoulder._ _ _ _

____"We're gonna need people like you." Eva smiled as Stephanie stepped back, heading to the other loner across the room. This one was much more active, pacing from one end of the room to the other, head in his hands, and trembling. Stephanie walked briskly over to him, stopping him mid pace, and smiling at him, finally registering who he was. Ryland's eyes went wide at her presence, quickly shifting from shock to melancholy as he began to recognize her._ _ _ _

____"Are you feeling alright?" Stephanie asked him, trying to seem as non threatening as she could. Ryland sat back in a nearby chair, shaking his head exaggeratedly._ _ _ _

____"Yeah, just... This brings back bad memories. Lots of them." Ryland seemed exasperated, more tired than distraught. "Before you ask, I'm not here to try and get Shane back. That ship has sailed, it's been two years." He paused briefly, pondering his next words, "It's not.. It's not the fact that he's gone that bothers me, it's the not knowing. I don't know what happened to him, I don't know if he's alive, if he did die, I don't know if he suffered, if he was alone... That keeps me awake, you know." Stephanie choked on air, stunned by Ryland's transparency. Ryland almost scoffed, before whispering, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you all of that." Stephanie nodded her head in thanks, preparing to respond when Ryland began again, "It seemed like I could get answers here, but if I just depress everyone here like I do everywhere else in my life, I can leave. I can take a hint."_ _ _ _

____"No." Stephanie cut him off, unable to listen to him any longer. "We need help, and lots of it. All hands on deck." Steph was shorter with him than she intended to be, but it got the job done and didn't seem to hurt Ryland too badly, so she left it at that. Wordlessly, she stepped back and into the middle of the room, calling everyone's attention._ _ _ _

____"Alright everyone, thank you so much for coming. I'm so sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but I'm glad we have such a big group, I'm sure it'll prove helpful.." She paused for a moment, pulling out a notepad. "Okay. Let's get to business. We're going to establish a timeline."_ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the investigation begin! I want to hear your thoughts, predictions, and other lovely ideas! Thanks so much for the support!


	4. The Detective(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group starts to gather evidence, sparking more concern than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter is here! It's a bit dialogue heavy, but it's setting the groundwork. Please enjoy.

"Okay, so did any of you have any sort of contact with the person you're here to find after 6:20 pm on Friday?" Stephanie asked the group, scanning the faces for a response. Most simply started back confusedly, but some pulled out their phones, no doubt looking for the time stamps on their messages. 

"Why then?" Mike asked, speaking clearly, but with a sheepish tone. 

"It's the last time I had contact with Matthew. It gives the rest of you a place to start." She got several nods of understanding, and a few responsive head shakes from the crowd, as some more people checked their phones. 

"I did, yeah," Mike said, drawing every eye in the room to him. He swallowed hard, not breaking eye contact with Stephanie, "Ro and Matt left the house around eight, said she'd gotten an invitation to something," he paused, gathering himself, "I'm so sorry Steph, if I would've known, I could've.." 

"It's okay," She cut him off, fighting back her emotions, "We'll talk about it later. Right now, it's just going on the timeline." She wrote it down in her notebook, connecting it to the point she'd written about 6:20. "Anyone else have something after eight?" She was met with somber shakes of the head, a few people softly responding with times ranging from 6:00 to 7:30 and empty stares. She took a resigned breath, noting just how small the window of time was, and sitting in a nearby chair. Nine people, eight different places, in only two hours? That seemed impossible for any one person, or even most groups to carry out. The families sat in tense silence, some mourning, and others pondering until a voice from the corner broke the stillness.

"I got an invitation, too." Eva said it harshly and abruptly, like it was a confession. Like it was something she didn't want to admit. 

"So now we know," Tyler almost spat, staring intently at the ceiling, "It's happening again. Same people are behind it too, right? What was the invitation for?" 

"It was for a dinner party," Eva explained, trying to keep everyone calm as she methodically explained, "The invitation was from Joey Graceffa." Stephanie's eyes went wide, as she frantically took the new details down next to the timeline. Around her, the room started to erupt. Some began crying, others shouting at Eva, demanding answers, others still too shell shocked to do much of anything. 

"Hey, HEY!" Stephanie raised her voice above the crowds', commanding that the attention fall back on to Eva. As people settled, Eva steeled herself and began to explain. 

"Joey got out with Oli and I. As far as we understand, we were the last people to see him before the second round of disappearances." 

"What about his boyfriend? I heard somewhere that he visited him after you all escaped." Eva seemed startled at the new voice's assertion, glancing to Stephanie, who simply shrugged and wrote it down next to the other notes, underlining it violently. "And what about the other survivor? Oli, you said? Weren't there two more that survived?" 

"I talked to Oli yesterday, he's catching a flight to LA to help out as soon as he can. Yeah, there were two more. I can't ask that of Tyler, he's so busy with the anniversary coming up. He's planned so many memorials, I can't ask him to do this too. Andrea, though.. Bad idea." Eva was assertive and bold, leaving no room for further questions. Stephanie gave her a smile laced with respect, and turned the attention back to herself. 

"That's gonna be all for today, if you think of anything, no matter how small, tell me. We're all in this together, okay? We'll pick it back up in the morning." Several nods and affirmatives broke out through the crowd, as they slowly dispersed into their rooms for the night. Stephanie went her own way soon after, into the closet of the bedroom she'd chosen, and to the massive board she'd dragged with her from her house. Matt called it the 'board of crazy' because of the pictures, push pins and red string littering the thing, with the pictures of the missing and the survivors pasted haphazardly throughout. He said it made him look like a conspiracy theorist, and not the kind he was eager to admit that he was.

What really struck Stephanie was the strings, and how they all eventually circled back to Joey Graceffa. Steph felt a shiver run down her spine. They were connected, all of them, and Joey was the missing link. She wrote 'Talk to Daniel Preda' in her notebook again, this time darker, and bowed her head in front of the board. 

She was used to solving things, and she had a team to do it with, but she was missing the one that really mattered. Her partner. Her husband. 

She needed his help. She needed him to give her something to work with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the support so far, and keep telling me what you're thinking about it! I love to hear it!


	5. MRS: Mirrored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groups start to form among the families, and the real world gets its own set of 'boy scouts.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! This is quite the chapter, too. Buckle in, kids.

The more she started to collect and ponder evidence with the rest of the group, the more Stephanie began to realize that there were three types of people there with her. There were those who completely shut down, hardly talking, much less contributing to the investigation in any way. At the start of all this, a part of her knew there would be some people like that, who wouldn't contribute to the cause because of their grief, and she made sure to invite enough people that a few of those people didn't derail the whole investigation. There were also some at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, who couldn't seem to stop talking. Whether they were reminiscing, lashing out, or just rambling about nothing, like the sound of their own voice would somehow bring their loved one back. 

And then, there were Tyler, Mike, and herself, who seemed to stand out from the rest. They didn't seem to get bogged down with the pain as much as some of the others did, choosing to snap into action instead of closing themselves in. Sure, many of the people there had their moments of clarity and bravery, but there was something special about that group. She found that the three of them were always together, herself and Tyler making connections and collecting as much information as they could muster and Mike (and occasionally Molly) would serve as the glue, holding the sometimes fragile group together. It was a strange dynamic, especially considering how quickly they all fell in to their roles, but it seemed to be working well enough. 

She was starting to get used to the immense volume of people, and their sometimes erratic grief stricken behavior, but she couldn't help but feel...cheated. It was strange, she knew that, but she couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness she had, that she was executing a plan meant to be lead by two people alone. That feeling expanded with every failed attempt at contacting Daniel Preda, which was a number that grew higher with each passing hour. The thought that someone who likely had answers, or at least a meaningful lead, just wasn't answering was starting to infuriate her, especially when Eva revealed to her that Daniel wasn't involved in her incident. He was perfectly capable of giving them all answers, or at least peace of mind, and yet, he didn't.

Eva herself was also starting to get on Stephanie's nerves. She understood that what happened to her was traumatic, and she probably wasn't eager to relive it, but her persistent reluctance to give any detail as to what exactly the missing influencers were going through was starting to aggravate her. All she would ever say when pressed about it was "Don't be too worried, Stephanie. If it's anything like what I went through, he's got a good shot at making it out." She wouldn't give any details as to what she meant by that, which only served to confuse and worry Stephanie more. She kept her suspicions and feelings quiet, though, instead writing her questions down in her notebook. 

After a few days, she started to realize the only company that didn't make her feel so tense was Tyler and Mike. She felt like they were capable of moving forward, finding clues and helping rather than just wallowing in the grief. The Ballingers also did their fair share, which came as a huge relief to the already overworked group. Stephanie did her best to keep herself steady as she lead the group, and she thought she was doing a good enough job, until Molly pulled her aside late in the afternoon of the third day. 

"Steph, do you need to talk to someone?" 

"What?" Steph was caught completely off guard, unconsciously taking a defensive position. 

"I mean, everyone else is open with how this is affecting them, and I get that not everyone processes this in the same way, but I do feel like you deserve to have someone listen to you. If you want, of course." Molly's face was sincere, but Stephanie was still on edge, not seeming to fully understand her offer. "Again, no pressure," Molly continued gently, "But I'm here and if you want to talk, I'll listen." As Molly went to turn away, the wheels in Steph's head began to turn. 

Someone had to know. Her behavior was only going to get stranger if she kept this to herself, but then again, should she? Would it mean they would tell her to stop looking? Try and take over for her? She hated the thought of constantly being demeaned like that, but yet, this was too big to keep in. 

Someone had to know. 

"Molly, wait," Stephanie whispered, drawing Molly's attention back to her. "This doesn't get out, okay? Not to Mike, not to anyone, but I have to tell you something." Molly leaned back against the wall and nodded patiently, encouraging Stephanie to talk. After a long, deep, contemplative breath, Stephanie continued. "Right before everyone arrived, the day after it all happened, I..." She trailed off, drawing a shuddering breath. "Molly I'm pregnant. I didn't know until after he went missing." Molly's jaw dropped, tears forming in her eyes. 

"Oh Steph, I.. I don't know." Molly tried her best to comfort her, which Stephanie appreciated, but she came up short. 

"You don't need to say anything. I just needed to get that off my chest." There was a long minute of silence, only broken up by the occasional sniffle from either of them, before Stephanie straightened her back and dried her eyes. "But right now, I can't focus on this kid. I have to focus on getting their dad back." 

"Wow," Molly whispered wetly, "You're a warrior, Steph. That's so.. That's so strong of you." Stephanie nodded, a sad smile on her face as she gestured for the two to head back to the main room. 

Just as they were leaving, though, a frantic Tyler greeted them at the door. Catching his breath, he spoke and leaned on the door frame "I'm sorry to interrupt," he said breathlessly, "But you need to see this." He took a long pause, looking Stephanie dead in the eye. 

"There's something really wrong with Kian."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's getting real. What's wrong, what's next, what are your thoughts, I love to hear them! Thanks for sticking with this story, and I hope you're liking it!


	6. The Everlock Pull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something wrong with Kian, and it's enough to sound some major alarms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an interesting little chap. I hope you think so too. 
> 
> Mild TW for this chapter: A character displays symptoms that could, perhaps, be read as a panic attack (it is not explicitly stated as that, but please be safe.)

Tyler wasn't lying when he said there was something wrong with Kian. When Stephanie and Molly made it to the living room, everyone formed a loose circle around the couch, where Kian was sitting perfectly still, staring ahead absently. His skin was scarily pale, his eyes were almost sunken into his head, and Stephanie could see the sweat dripping off of his brow. To Stephanie, he looked like someone who was in the late stages of an illness, something that would have been brewing for hours, if not days before. Rachel Ballinger was kneeling closest to him, trying to get him to talk. When Stephanie entered, Rachel got up, giving Stephanie a disheartened look. 

"This just happened over a few minutes. He just... became like this out of no where," Rachel stated, her voice laced with panic. Everyone in the room seemed stunned, unable to do anything but gawk at the man on the couch. Stephanie gave Rachel a nod and cautiously approached Kian. 

"Hey, Kian, it's me. Stephanie. Are you feeling alright?" Kian hung his head in response, shaking it slowly. Stephanie gathered herself before continuing, "Can you tell me what you're feeling? What's happening to you?" 

"I..I don.." Kian whispered, his voice was weak and almost pained. Stephanie stilled in front of him, hoping he'd continue. "I shouln' be here. There's no point." Now that scared Stephanie. 

"What do you mean? We're all going to help each other get everyone back." 

"I know. You're trying, n that means a lot.." Kian trailed off, wincing at nothing as he looked up to face Stephanie. "Especially you. Don' know why, but... feel's like you're going too slow." 

"Why specifically me?" Kian shook his head, beginning to tremble a bit. 

"Don' know. It's just a feeling. Like someone's going too slow.. Like they're gonna let him down. They need to go faster." Stephanie took note of the change in pronoun usage, and gestured to Mike to get the others to the kitchen. She could hear their footsteps from behind her shuffling off to the kitchen, and Kian seemed to relax a bit now that there wasn't an audience. They sat there for a few long minutes, Stephanie sometimes thinking of something to ask him, but shooting it down because it was too personal, or too vague, or would just make him worse.

The silence extended for what felt like hours, until something in the air shifted. Color quickly returned to Kian's face, his eyes seemed to have the life thrusted back into them, and his frame suddenly, almost violently, relaxed. Kian looked around frantically, like he didn't know where he was, and landed on Stephanie's face. 

"W..What?" Stephanie's eyes grew wide at his statement. 

"Do you remember what just happened? How you were just acting?" Kian seemed to calm a bit, taking a deep, heavy breath.

"It's over now... I don't know why, it just finished. I'm fine now. What the?" That threw Stephanie for a loop too. If he was ill, or having some sort of episode, it would end gradually, and not without some form of help, and yet this just.. Stopped? She was going to add this phenomena to the growing list of things about this that didn't make any sense. Kian's voice broke her from her thoughts. "I'm going to the kitchen. I need to get out of my own head." Stephanie gave an approving nod as he left, taking his place on the couch as he did. She sat back, pondering what she saw, when she felt someone enter the room and sit next to her. 

It was Ryland, who's face was nearly as vacant as Kian's was just minutes earlier. "That happened to me too, you know," He whispered, voice coated in disbelief. She turned to him quickly, trying to contain her shock. "Yeah, I know. A couple of days after Shane vanished, I remember just... out of nowhere feeling so, disappointed. Like no one that offered to help me could actually do anything. It wasn't exactly like he described it, but I think.. I think.." 

"There's a connection." Stephanie finished his statement, new determination in her voice. Ryland nodded, leaning back as Stephanie pulled out her notebook and furiously jotted down the new information. "Do you know if anyone else that was in your situation had those feelings?" Ryland shook his head. 

"We didn't ever connect. I think some of them are still too bitter to even try." Something about that saddened Stephanie, but she kept it down as she finished recording the information. 

"Can I ask you a question?" Stephanie tried to sound friendly, hoping the effort wouldn't sound condescending. 

"Sure." 

"Was yours directed? Like did you feel that way toward a specific person?" Ryland shook his head confusedly. 

"It was really general for me. Like I was just that way about everyone involved." Stephanie was confused, but took the note down anyway. Ryland left with a nod and a somber smile, leaving Stephanie to sit alone in the living room. She could hear the noise from the kitchen, but she didn't pay it any mind, blocking out the noise from everywhere except for her own mind. 

Nothing made sense. She hated feeling stupid, outsmarted and helpless, but that was all she could feel. She was painfully out of her element, in way over her head, and grasping at straws to find any explanation. The only thing that kept coming back to mind, the only real explanation was something beyond science, beyond anything she could understand. 

No, she wasn't really considering that, was she? Magic wasn't real, everything, even this ridiculous personal hell that she'd been forced in to with all of the people here, was somehow explainable. Magic wasn't real. This had an explanation that made some form of sense. She didn't believe in demons, or ghosts, or magic. But if it took magic to make sense of it all, maybe she was okay with that. 

If it took magic to bring Matt back, maybe she wasn't opposed to giving it some thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm. What do you think? Let me know down below..


	7. The Savant(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daniel finally agrees to talk to Stephanie, but he only serves to complicate things more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an interesting update in my opinion, I hope you think so too.

The next morning, Stephanie woke up to six missed calls, all from a number she didn't know. They had started around three in the morning and stretched all the way to six, coming in relatively steady intervals. Stephanie's mind quickly started to race, trying to come up with a reason for the persistence and the hour. She eventually landed on the explanation that it was Matt, calling from a number that wasn't his. 

It had to be, who else would call at that hour, that many times? If it wasn't, then who wanted to talk to her that badly? She wasn't sure which option scared her more. Either way, she had to call back. She picked up her phone, fingers shaking as she pressed the button to call the number back. She didn't have to wait long for a response. 

"Stephanie Patrick? Do I have the right number?" The voice on the other end was dry and frightened, and worse than that, was very plainly not Matthew's. 

"How did you get this number? Who are you?" The voice on the other end gave a dry, humorless laugh. 

"You tried to call me so many times I thought you'd recognize the number. It's Daniel. I didn't mean to scare you." Stephanie sighed in relief and sat back in her chair. 

"Well? What do you know about the new group of missing people? Anything to say?" Stephanie was demanding and unflinching in her tone, disregarding for a moment whether or not she scared Daniel. She needed to know what was happening before more people lost hope, before more people became like Kian. At the moment, as much as she hated to think about it, Daniel was the closest thing she had to a real, concrete lead. Someone who might know more than the families did. 

"Okay, I should've known that was coming," Daniel murmured, laughing again, "I don't know as much as everyone seems to think I do, okay? I'll start with that. This was Joey's choice and his alone. He didn't even consult me..." Daniel trailed off as Steph frantically scribbled the word 'CHOICE?' down in her notebook. When he didn't promptly continue, Stephanie asked another question. 

"What do you mean by choice?" 

"I.. I wish I knew," Daniel said forlornly, now nearly biting back tears, "Two years ago, about a week before the first incident, Joey left in the night without warning. He only left a note saying he was going to a relative's house and throw some sort of party." Daniel took a long pause, relaxing before he continued. "You know, that's not even the worst part. The note was.. off. Like it wasn't him who wrote it." 

"I'm sorry, what?" Stephanie kicked herself for interrupting, but she couldn't contain it. This was the closest look she'd gotten so far as to what was happening to her husband, and just as she suspected, it didn't make any sense. 

"The handwriting wasn't his, the wording was too harsh, he didn't even close the note with anything. It was like he was in a hurry." 

"So you don't think he wrote it?" 

"No. There's no way." Stephanie hummed, finished writing in her notebook and pondered for a minute. 

"That's all you know?" 

"Yeah," Daniel whispered in quiet resignation, "I'm sorry if I dissapointed you. I know how it feels, you know. To look for someone for what feels like forever and come up empty." Daniel took a deep breath, steeling himself as Stephanie put down her notes, "Look what I'm saying is that I'm one of you guys. I've been hurting in the same way that you are... Look I'm not asking for you to like me, forgive me, even invite me but could I ask you a favor?" 

Pity took over and Stephanie responded with a quiet "Sure." 

"They listen to you. Those families respect you, so could you please tell them that I'm not a villain? I know that they want to blame someone, I get that, but please. I just want to stop being looked at like I committed a crime." Remorseful tears welled up in Stephanie's eyes as she disconnected the call. She only gave a slight affirmation to Daniel, but she wasn't sure if she could believe anything he said. 

On one hand, he had lost his boyfriend, and did know how they were feeling, but on the other hand, something about his responses seemed off to her. She hated to be suspicious of everyone she encountered, but there was a sense about him that she couldn't ignore. Contemplating, she made her way to the 'board of crazy,' laying out the new information. And just like that, all of her leads were gone. There were no clues left, no more stones left to turn. There was nothing left to do at the moment, and yet again, nothing made any sense. 

It was starting to get to Stephanie, truth be told. She was sick of these preposterous back doors, dead ends, and unexplained events. She pondered long and hard, searching for a next step, a new lead, anything to keep her hopes up. Maybe, she thought, she has to play by its rules. Maybe, if working to find clues the logical way wouldn't work, maybe she'd have to wait for a clue to come to her. 

The last thing she wanted to do was sit back and wait for a clue to show up at the doorstep, but she had no other choice. 

And lo and behold, it worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes a good old fashioned cliffhanger! What are you thinking, what's your take! Let me know!


	8. The Clowns Here Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie uncovers a new major piece of evidence, and a pattern starts to establish itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Hope this is worth the wait.

She heard a knock at the door, firm but barely audible. Everyone else had either just rolled out of bed, or was in the kitchen getting breakfast, too far from the door to hear anything. Hesitantly, she approached the door, took a glance out the nearby window, and prepared herself for what she was about to see. At first, she thought it was extremely underwhelming. 

It was a newspaper, rolled up and set on the doorstep as if it was completely normal, just a paperboy on his everyday route. At first, Stephanie was beyond dissapointed, very nearly giving up and retiring to the kitchen with the others, but something stopped her, drew her back to the paper. Confused, but determined, Stephanie opened up the door, glanced around quickly, and then picked up the paper. She shot back to her room quickly and silently, listening to the feeling that this wasn't something she should share with anyone. 

When she sat down in her room and unrolled the paper, a chill washed over her. This wasn't normal. No where close. The paper's title was unfamiliar and its pristine condition wildly conflicted with the date in the corner, but after only a few seconds of looking at the paper, those concerns fell to the background. The headline stated 'The Clowns Here Kill' and was completed by a frankly horrifying picture of a gaggle of demented clowns. That alone was enough to alarm Stephanie, but as she continued, the headlines got worse. There were stories about circus freaks, killer dolls, and demonic witches, all capped off by strange, macabre photos of the creatures they described. 

All of the articles were horrifying, strange, and off putting, but for some reason, one in particular stuck out in Stephanie's mind. It was about a former cop, with a devious face and a hideous, massive deformed arm. For some unexplained reason, that story made something in Stephanie deeply ill. It's not as if the picture was more frightening than the others, or that the story was more disturbing in any way, but something about the story horrified Stephanie, to a level she couldn't describe. On instinct, she tore out the story and slid it into her notebook, stashing the rest of the paper near the board for safe keeping. 

That's when she heard it. A series of noises from downstairs, feet moving rapidly, loud shuffling and several voices chattering in fear and confusion. It sounded, in a way, like someone had broken into the house. Stephanie mentally prepared herself for that, bitterness leaking into her thoughts. _Of course, of course. This would happen. They all dissapear, none of it makes any sense, and then someone breaks in to our safe house. Yup. Sounds about right _, Stephanie thought, rushing downstairs to offer assistance, or at least to see what was transpiring.__

__She wasn't more than three steps down the stairs before she heard a very loud, very scared female voice shout "Where is it!" picking up her pace, she came downstairs to see Monette rifling through the living room cabinets, letting out a scream when one of them was empty. She caught the eye of Tyler, who stood in front of the others, who gave her a confused, but clear nod. Stephanie moved swiftly but carefully to block her path, taking note of her pale skin, sunken eyes, and visible sweat. Oh. Oh no. This was just like Kian. Whatever happened to him was happening again._ _

__"Monette, hey," Stephanie placed her hands on her shoulders, trying to stop her from moving. She gave minimal effort to struggle, only jutting her head back and forth to attempt to see behind Stephanie's head. "Monette!" Stephanie repeated sharply, finally landing her attention on Stephanie. Steph gave a reassuring smile before asking, "What are you looking for?"_ _

__"I.. I don't know. It's important. It can save him. It can get him out." Stephanie froze, confusion settling in her face. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a teary eyed Kian fleeing the scene and a worried Mike following him._ _

__"Can you tell me how it will help him?"_ _

__"He'll win. If he gets it he'll win."_ _

__"Win?"_ _

"Yeah. If I find it he'll get out. If he finds it the snake won't get him, if he..." In a flash, something changed in Monette's face. Just like Kian, her eyes cleared up, her face relaxed, and life was breathed back into her. She surveyed her surroundings, confusion turning to embarrassment when she saw the unkempt cabinets. "What? Did I do that? What just.." 

"It's okay. None of us blame you," Stephanie said calmly, giving Tyler the nod to escort the others away. As he obliged, Monette turned to Stephanie again, her breathing growing shallow. 

"Oh god, I just had what Kian did, didn't I?" Monette's voice was weak, tears lacing her words. Stephanie hung her head and nodded solemnly, her mind shifting between trying desperately to connect what was happening here, and deeply dreading the answer she might come to, or god forbid, the thought that it could, and statistically probably will, happen to her. She left Monette to Molly, who had already prepared some tea for the distraught woman, and headed back to her room. 

She pulled the paper out of its spot at lightning speed, skimming it for any mention of a snake. It didn't take long for her to confirm her suspicions, landing on an article about a woman named Cindy, and someone on a quest to find her heart. It all started adding up. She was talking about the woman in the paper, she had to be. It didn't explain Kian's behavior as cleanly, but the connection to Monette's outburst were undeniable. 

She was looking at a goldmine. The first real, tangible connection she'd made, and while it was beyond satisfying it still felt strange. For the moment, though, she had to celebrate the little victories, so she pinned the paper to the board, drawing red lines at the connection she's made and smiling. She could practically hear her husband tease her for using the board like that, before inevitably showing her yet another angle to look at the problem from. 

"I've got something, Matthew," She whispered to no one in particular, "This time I really do. I found something, and like Monette said.." She drew a deep, determined breath, "I'm gonna get it. And we're _both _gonna win."__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's connected something! Hooray! What are your predictions, thoughts, questions? I wanna hear them!


	9. The Sense With No Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie runs an experiment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update time! Hope ya like this one, and the whole system's not too confusing. Enjoy lovelies!

Stephanie spent most of the day almost transfixed by the paper, searching her mind for a next step. She was sure she had something big, but she was lost on how to prove it, or even what was so big. She debated telling Tyler and Mike, but she had no clue how to explain it to them without sounding desperate at best, or insane at worst. She couldn't keep it to herself, the connections were too compelling to deny even though she admitted, it sounded remarkably strange.

Or could she. There wasn't anything inherrintley wrong with keeping it the way it was, using it to cross check what happened with what might be happening to the missing. It'd be the path of least resistance, sure, fewer questions, and an easier time, but it wouldn't actually do anything concrete. Stephanie was beyond sick of that feeling, that lack of action, so she threw that idea out. 

She had to tell someone. Someone who might help her get another connection, another theory, anything to prove to herself that this was a real lead, that it wasn't as crazy as it sounded. She could ask Eva if she recognized anything in the paper, but Oli had just flown in, and she was busy getting him from the airport and bringing him up to speed with recent events. She could ask Mike, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was a bad idea, fearing the dark and twisted stories on the paper would bog him down too much, and the loss of his optimism would be a detriment to the entire group. 

Or, she realized, she could tell Kian. Not only was his behavior by far the biggest unexplained clue they'd found (or rather, been shown) so far, but he also seemed to be a bit more closed off than others, lowering the chances for anyone else to hear about the paper right away. She needed to establish a clearer, more sane link before she felt comfortable being open about what she'd discovered, and Kian was the only person that could help her do that. 

She slid down the stairs and into the living room while the others ate dinner, stopping to chat with Tyler, Mike and Molly before taking a seat next to Kian. He looked up from his plate slowly, smiling at Stephanie sarcastically and setting down his fork. "Yes?" 

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner, but can I borrow you for a second?" Confused, Kian turned to her fully and nodded, rising from his chair. Stephanie followed and guided him to the hallway near her room, gesturing for him to stop. She walked into the room, gingerly removed the thumbtacks from the paper and came back to a somehow more confused Kian. She handed the paper to him, and was about to explain it, when a horrified look stretched across Kian's face. 

"What is that picture?" Kian huffed anxiously, backing away from Stephanie as if the paper was a weapon. Startled, she looked at the photo for herself again, surveying the articles briefly and remembering the feeling that hit her when she saw the photo of the cop. Stephanie attempted to contain her happiness. He felt it too. This was a real lead. 

"I found it on the porch, and after looking for a while I think there might be something to this. Can you tell me how that picture makes you feel?" 

"So you're my therapist now?" Stephanie snickered. 

"I'm testing a theory." Kian sighed, averting his eyes from the photo. 

"Like I did on the couch. Hopeless. Scared." Stephanie froze. "Is that all you need?" 

"Yeah.. Yeah. You're good. Can you keep this hush, though." Kian raised his eyebrow, but quickly nodded, smiling as he turned to walk downstairs. Stephanie came down not long after he did, to the sound of a male voice screaming "What's his name!" Stephanie was admittedly less alarmed than she should be, resigned to the fact that these outbursts were part of the new normal. She simply wrote the word 'name' in her journal, and made her way to the scene. A young man, Luke, she remembered, was sitting on a barstool and shaking, with Molly and Rachel working on calming him down. Stephanie gave a perfunctory nod to Molly, who simply gestured her away, in a 'we'll take care of this one' manner. She simply went on with her night, a part of her horrified by her lack of reaction, another part acknowledging that this was a fact of life now, like it or not. 

And she carried on like that for another week, getting nowhere closer, feeling nowhere safer, and getting increasingly concerned about the baby. The week blended together, days of confusion and pain running together, nothing changing, nothing moving. 

Until, while eating her breakfast and socializing about nothing with the others; 

Something changed. Something hurt. And in a moment. 

It was like all of the hope within Stephanie was suddenly gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. We've arrived. Hold on to your hats.


	10. Strong Like a Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Stephanie's turn to experience the pull, and she picks up a strange detail during it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was hard to write folks. Grab your tissue and don't hate me too much, okay?

Stephanie sat at the table, thousand yard stare crossing over her face. She shook slightly, dropping her utensils to the table to hide the motion in her hands. The others still mingled around her like nothing was wrong, none of them willing to help her. _None of them could _she thought distantly, _they're all just watching, none of them are helping _. She desperately tried to force the thought out, force herself to move, do anything but sit there and be useless, be weak.____

____Stephanie barely heard Tyler speak to her nonchalantly, asking her some sort of mundane question she couldn't hear through the haze of dread in her mind. She excused herself quickly and quietly, making it only as far as the living room before collapsing on the floor. She curled into herself, back against the wall and head in her hands as her mind spun with fear. It was an overwhelming feeling of defeat, a helplessness she couldn't describe that overtook her, literally rendering her helpless.____

___ _

___She thought she felt someone kneel in front of her, but her eyes were cloudy, and her mind wasn't able to process anything but dread. She was vaguely aware of someone talking, a female voice that was quiet, monotone and clearly attempting to be comforting. Stephanie heard her, and appreciated her presence, but nothing could help, she couldn't escape. It was like someone was choking her, holding her up and forcing her to look it in the eyes as the stability, the peace, the hope was siphoned out of her._ _ _

___An urge blindsided her, a powerful need to tell the others. There was something they could find. Something strong, something helpful. She was distantly aware that it wouldn't help him, at least not immediately, but it was strong, stronger than a demon, and she needed to find it. They all needed to find it. She tried to explain it to whoever was in front of her, but her voice failed her, so she took to writing it down. The person sitting near her tried to stop her, but Stephanie was determined, so she scribbled out a word brazenly, covering an entire page of the notepad in harsh handwriting._ _ _

___In an instant, the panic faded. She was struck then by a soft, mournful feeling that was somehow worse than the panic. Her mind suddenly returned to happier times with Matthew, the plans for the future that were thrust into uncertainty, and a crushing, hopeless feeling of total and complete lonesomeness. It was a thought before, but the full weight of the situation never hit her until now. Their future might be gone. Their plans might be gone. He might be gone. And there was nothing she could do. She could pretend to be helping, pretend to make a difference, and present a unified and unafraid front, but they were getting nowhere. No evidence, no leads, no closer to bringing anyone home. Perhaps it was inevitable, perhaps there was truly nothing any of them could do._ _ _

___Maybe some things weren't meant to be outsmarted._ _ _

___As soon as tears started to form in Stephanie's eyes, the feelings left as quickly as they came. She snapped her head around, shaking slightly as she tried to stand up. She felt an arm wrap around her to help, following it up to find a worried, but smiling Molly. "Good to have you back, Steph." Stephanie gave a half-hearted smile, still trying to center her breathing. The two walked together slowly back into the living room, where Mike and Tyler sat together, tense, but casual._ _ _

___"Sorry about that guys." Stephanie murmured. The three looked at her sympathetically, Tyler smiling sadly._ _ _

___"It's not your fault, it's happened to a bunch of people," Tyler said, gesturing to Mike and Molly, "We'll leave you be, let us know when you want to get back to it." Stephanie gave an appreciative smile, sitting down on the couch as they left. As soon as she was alone, Stephanie slowly pulled out her journal, vaguely remembering writing something in it when she was having her... Episode. She flipped through casually, heart stopping when she landed on one of the last pages._ _ _

___In huge, violent, scribbled lettering was one single word._ _ _

___LAZARUS_ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a ride. Feel free to give me your thoughts/yell at me down below. I love hearing your reactions!


	11. The Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Stephanie faces what her vision means, the worst wave of the feeling yet sweeps through the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, here's the new chapter! This one's loaded, so get ready!

Lazarus. 

What could it possibly mean. Of course, Stephanie knew the story, but the implications were what really frightened her. She calmly began to write down all the possible meanings of the word, ordering them from most to least likely. Of course, all of them sounded mildly preposterous, but at the end of the day, one thing was clear about this incident; logic wasn't a reliable way to solve much of anything. 

The order went as follows:  
1\. Matthew is dead.  
2\. Matthew nearly died, and miraculously came back.  
3\. Matthew brought someone back from the dead.  
4\. Matthew _was _dead, and somehow came back.  
5\. Matthew is dead, but he won't be for long. __

__She stared at the list blankly, all of the options overwhelming her with the finality of it all. Her eyes lingered at the top line, the all-to-likely words 'Matthew is dead' ringing in her head. It was then that an idea entered her mind. A horrible, horrifying idea that she didn't want to have, but at this point, it was one of the only logical connections she could make. The episodes had to have something in common. It was common sense, really, but she didn't give it any concrete thought until now. If she was working off of the assumption that her first instinct was true, that had to be the connection._ _

__Matthew was dead. So was Teala. And Roi. And JC. Part of her was amazed that she didn't figure it out sooner, considering the patterns, but now that it happened to her, it seemed almost too obvious. She teared up silently, the finality of it all crashing down on her, when she realized something. It was small, yes, but it was a much needed glimmer of hope in the darkness she'd been experiencing._ _

__None of the others had any form of note. None of them wrote anything when they were in that state, none of them even seemed to be conscious enough to be capable of it in the first place. A part of her wanted to believe that meant she was different. That there was something else going on, and maybe, just maybe, she wasn't going to face the same fate as the others. She quickly shook off the feeling, wagering that she was no 'chosen one,' she was no main character, she was a victim, and so was Matt. Why would they have any form of different luck?_ _

__It was foolish, but it was a form of hope, and that was all she needed at that moment. Then, like clockwork. Like it was a routine at this point, something normal to happen every day, she heard a shout from the living room. Of course, of course she did. Because the second after she figures something out, she's rewarded with more uncertain behavior and even more uncertain times. Of course. Makes sense.__

____

__Stephanie stomped into the room to see what might be the worst sight she'd seen yet. The entire Ballinger family, every member that was at the house, was standing near the door, in tears and shaking. They were chastising the room, hurling a mix of criticisms and insults so dense and fearful Stephanie couldn't make out anything in particular. She quickly, albiet begrudgingly, stepped in front of the group, hands extended like she was fending off a herd of wild animals, and began to speak._ _

__"What's going on here?" Stephanie asked loudly, but evenly, trying to match the family's volume without matching their rage._ _

__"They're doing this to her!" Rachel almost screamed, pointing at the other families, who were all frozen in the doorway, watching intently._ _

__"What do you mean?"_ _

__"They don't care about her. They're going to get rid of her, she's not coming back, because they wanted to get rid of her!" Erik yelled, almost baring his teeth at the others. Stephanie felt her heart sink, her newfound theory not making this easier, but despite herself, she stayed calm._ _

__"Who is 'them'?"_ _

__"I don't know," Rachel said intensely, but much quieter than before, "But it's not you. You're not hurting her." Stephanie froze._ _

__"What makes you say that?"_ _

__"I don't know. But this doesn't involve you." Stephanie staggered back, staring vacantly at the floor. Taking the cue, Molly and Mike stepped forward, trying to calm the group to no avail, but Stephanie wasn't paying much attention._ _

__All that encounter had done was confirm the awful theory she'd recently discovered. They weren't mad at her for a reason. They were only mad at the ones who were left. Erik had even said 'she's not coming home.' If she wasn't, neither was Matthew. She felt ill, staggering to the room housing her board with her hand draped over her stomach sorrowfully. She took another look at it, scanning for anything, any crumb of a detail, to prove herself incorrect. Never in her life has she so badly wanted to be wrong._ _

__And then she found it. In a fold out she hadn't noticed before, in a tiny classified ad, there were six words. In big, bold print, there were the words 'find the coins, open the box' and below it, in barely visible ink, there was a word that made her heart stop._ _

__Lazarus._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More connections! Is she one step closer? What do you think?


	12. A Harp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie feels something change in the air, and discovers something huge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while! Sorry, new job, more work, it's been a lot but I'm back, and I hope with a good chapter!

The next morning, Stephanie Patrick is a very different person. From the moment she got out of bed, it felt like something within her changed, awoke, was reborn. She felt like life was breathed back in her, like as violently as hope was taken away, it returned to her all at once, leaving her disoriented, but on cloud nine, unable to contain her energy. She even moved differently, like her feet weighed less, like she was walking on air. She practically skipped down the hallways, humming a happy tune as she did, a smile on her face that she couldn't seem to shake. 

A couple of people commented on it, the first being an exhausted, but thankfully more normal, Rachel Ballinger. She looked at Stephanie quizzically all throughout breakfast, not passing judgement, but rather a strange, optimistic curiosity. "What's up with you, Steph?" She asked playfully after breakfast, trying not to seem like she was pushing. Stephanie didn't mind, she couldn't if she tried. She was too focused on trying to decode her euphoria, because yes, it was refreshing, but if her pattern was correct, it wasn't normal. 

"I um.." Stephanie rambled, laughing slightly, "I don't know. I feel good, like really good. Problem is I'm not sure why. It's not like anything's changed." Rachel nodded sadly. 

"Yeah. Well good luck with that. I'm.. I'm happy for you? I think?" Stephanie chuckled, smiling deeply at Rachel as she left. Almost as soon as she did, Stephanie was approached by a new face, a pleased, yet extremely confused Tyler. She smiled at him pleasantly, idly putting a dish away before Tyler spoke. 

"What is this?" He asked, his tone shocked, but light. Stephanie huffed, giving a light laugh. 

"Tyler, I genuinely wish I knew. I also wish that I could be in a good mood without anyone finding it suspicious, myself included." Tyler laughed, still hanging on to an edge of concern. 

"Seriously, what's going on here? You can't just say this is nothing, you're acting like the human character on a kids show, this is weird, Stephanie." She cackled at that, sending a deeper look of concern over Tyler's face. 

"What do you think it means?" Stephanie said, a strange eagerness creeping into her voice. 

"I don't know, none of us do. This is bucking a trend, shouldn't we be concerned?" 

"What if it's a good thing? I mean, we've gotten cryptic clues, why can't we get the odd affirmation, a hint that something good is going down." Tyler squinted. 

"Really? What good could possibly come out of this? I mean did they escape? Did he survive something, I mean, I don't know." 

"Neither do I, but I believe in him, something good's coming out of this." She unconsciously rested her hand on her stomach, smiling fondly. Thankfully, Tyler didn't seem to notice. 

"O..Okay. I believe you then. I'll leave you to saving the world or whatever you're wanting to do." Tyler almost seemed bitter, but he pressed through, leaving Stephanie to head to her room, and look again at the paper. She had a clearer head now than she did before, what with all of the unexplained episodes of severe distress, so she looked at it again, this time, trying to think things through. She stared at the word "Everlock" for a moment, thinking before finally just pulling out her phone and googling it.

And of course. Right there, was an article from 1970, about a town that fit the paper, with the killer clowns, the strong man, and the strange circus. It really was that easy, and she had missed it. She'd been blinded by fear, so used to thinking in back doors that the obvious wasn't so obvious anymore. Sure the article was old, but it was something. She needed to go. 

It was a risk to leave, so she only told those she really, truly trusted. Tyler, Mike and Molly were first, followed by the rest of the families that had thus far avoided an 'episode', as Tyler wagered they might have a better chance than the others of a happy reunion. And so, they left the house in the hands of the Ballingers, hopping in a few separate cars, and heading to the town in the paper, hoping the circus wouldn't pull any more tricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you thought we were gonna stay at the house the whole story, huh? Well, we're off and away, what are your thoughts? Your feedback has made me so happy and been super motivational, thanks!


	13. Hook, Line and Sinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Everlock, the pattern repeats itself once again, but once again, something isn't quite the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, the chapter title is a bit of a pun. But this chapter comes with an angst warning. Sorry.
> 
> Ish

The drive was long, strange and winding. They had been driving for nearly a day, Mike at the wheel most of the time, with no one daring to put on music, or carry on a conversation that lasted longer than a few minutes. There was a nagging, awful feeling among them that they were headed somewhere they shouldn't go, that whatever waited for them at the end was final. Any shred of hope would likely be taken away from most of the people in the caravan once they arrived, and none of them could bear to do anything about it. 

Stephanie was still riding the waves of joy from the previous day, reveling in a joyous sense of near normalcy that she had been deprived of since the moment she realized it was happening again. She was quiet about her happiness, however, careful not to draw too much attention, or god forbid, jealousy from the others. After all, she supposed, this was just a feeling. In actuality, she was still in the exact same position of complete uncertainty that the others were, no closer to bringing Mat home, or knowing if he was coming home at all. That was still a horrible thought. She thought she might numb to it, or at least begin to accept the reality that he might not come back over the last several weeks, but it still stung with the same potency it did that first night. And now with the baby, she couldn't even fathom it. 

The rest of the car was silent, with Mike in the driver's seat and Molly riding shotgun, leaving a very tired and eerily quiet Tyler with her in the back seat. He was leaning on the window, staring at the car seat in front of him blankly. Stephanie couldn't say she was doing much better, they all were emotionally and physically exhausted, zoning out wasn't just understandable, at this point it was commonplace, so much so that it left some of the family members without confidence in their ability to drive. Mike was thankfully an exception, pulling into the parking lot of a nearby gas station as the sun began to set. 

"I hate to say this, but I need to sleep," Mike rasped, staggering out of the driver's seat. Tyler didn't move, his eyes closing slowly as if to mimic sleep, and Molly nodded, clear, but blatantly without any form of comprehension. Begrudgingly, Stephanie agreed to take the wheel for the first part of the night, settling in next to Molly and taking the wheel. She slowly pulled the car back onto the road, making sure she was being followed by the other car of equally exhausted family members. Within a half an hour, both the guys were fast asleep. 

"So can I ask you something," Molly piped up, her voice quiet. Stephanie was already starting to zone out, so she saw it as a chance to help her focus, and eagerly accepted. When the question came, a part of her wished she said no. "Why haven't you told anyone about the baby yet?" Stephanie froze, eyes growing wide and sighed. 

"Can we talk about anything else? I'll let you pick, just anything but that," Her tone was angrier than intended, but it didn't seem to convince Molly. 

"Steph be honest with yourself. It's not healthy to avoid the topic, you need to face it. I'm not meaning to sound mean, I'm just asking why." Stephanie stilled, breathed deeply and continued, speaking in an intense whisper. 

"I know. I've tried to tell myself that, but it's just not happening," Stephanie tried to organize her thoughts, tears welling up in her eyes, "I just want this to make sense. To work out, to feel like the universe isn't just shoving its middle finger in my face for no reason." Molly laughed uncomfortably at the statement. ""If I tell them then it's real. The it's another piece of the puzzle, and it's one I'm no where near ready for, especially not alone," Tears began falling from her eyes at this, "He'd be such a great dad. I just hope he gets the chance." Molly was crying now as well, smiling sadly and nodding at Stephanie. The moment was soft, gentle and sweet, and Stephanie savored it while it lasted. 

Which, in true Everlock fashion, was about a minute. From behind her, Stephanie heard Tyler gasp, a horrible, guttural sound that made her think he'd just been stabbed, hit in the gut with something big. 

"What.. agh... sh.. I.." Tyler's voice was breathy, like he was sleeping. Molly tried to wake him, tell him he was dreaming, only to see that his eyes were open, and beginning to cloud with tears. 

"What's wrong back there?" Stephanie asked as Mike began to stir. 

"I don.. I don't know. Why is it gone already does that mean.." Stephanie didn't hear anything after that, only focusing on blind panic. Safiya had probably just joined the list of the dead. She could hear the soft crying coming from the back seat of the car, and she wasn’t sure if it was just the hormones, but it was deafening. She couldn’t help but feel horrible for him. 

She wasn’t stupid. 

She had seen the little black box he carried around sometimes. 

And so she shut down, focusing on nothing but the open road, and the silent car around her, with nothing but memories of happier times to keep her company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm. Thoughts? Again, I’m kind of sorry. Ish.


	14. Bewitched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The horrible feeling strikes again as they grow nearer to the gates of Everlock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! Enjoy the chapter.

Morning came soon after, finally allowing Stephanie to head to the backseat and take a much deserved rest. Mike was back at the wheel, Tyler sitting shotgun while Molly leaned against the window on the other side of the car. She came to less than an hour after she fell asleep, for a moment forgetting the horrible circumstances that brought her here, and then, like every morning since Mat dissapeared, it all came flooding back. Steph must have looked as bad as she suddenly felt, because Molly looked at her with a deep, sympathetic smile laced with a pity that she'd grown to hate. 

"How far out are we?" Stephanie asked drowsily, rubbing at her face. 

"An hour. You woke up right on time," Mike chirped, glancing back at Stephanie. She hummed, thankful she awoke to a car like this, not another incident like Tyler's. She took in her surroundings carefully, her thoughts always pivoting back to how close they were to finding out what happened. 

It was then that a thought hit her. It was horrible to think about, even in passing, but they needed to know. Now that they were so close to the town, they would figure it out soon enough, and frankly, she'd rather they learn she was pregnant when the fate of her husband was still up in the air, rather than moments after she figured out he wasn't coming home. 

If that's the news that waited for her, she knew she wouldn't be able to keep it secret for very long. She'd rather let them know on her own terms than by accident in a haze of grief. 

"Guys I have something to tell you. It's important," She spat it out quickly, not giving herself any time to second guess her choice. Mike gave a soft affirmative and Tyler, who had barely spoken since the previous night, turned around to look at her. Molly's face softened quickly, as if she knew what Stephanie was about to say. "I'm pregnant. I found out the day after this all happened. I didn't want you all to pity me, so I kept it from you." Tyler's eyes grew wide, a wave of guilt washing over him. 

"Steph, I.." Mike said somberly, his eyes not flinching from the road. Molly's face expressed a similar ache, though one that wasn't fueled by surprise. There was something else in Molly's tearful eyes, though, something that truly scared Stephanie. Not because it was out of character for a moment like that, but because something about her eyes were so, horribly familiar. 

She'd seen it before. In Kian, and Monette, and the Ballingers, and just last night, in Tyler. Despite herself, she whispered under her breath to whatever would listen. 

Not again. Not Rosanna. 

Molly didn't seem to notice Stephanie's concern, only tearing up further and beginning to ramble. "It's gonna be okay. You're gonna get Mat back, you're going to be happy with him and the baby, and everything is going to be okay. Focus on that, don't worry about us," She whispered solemnly, and without presence of mind. It was horribly robotic, and it shook Stephanie to her core. The rambling continued for a few awful minutes, with Mike joining in at times. Stephanie tried her best to tune it out, only picking up on a few sparse words about sacrifice, and futures, and being at peace. She and Tyler exchanged a glance, sad confusion evident in both of them. Sure, this was much less destructive than some of the other outbursts, it was somehow worse for Stephanie. She could only fret about what it meant for the other side of the equation, what was happening to Ro, and, god forbid, if Mat had to see it happen. 

Thankfully, a distraction came quickly and rather violently, in the form of a phone call from the truck behind them. Startled, she picked it up to hear the voice of a horrified and very angry Manny Gutierrez. He was rambling something angry about Nikita and her loved ones, how they betrayed him, and his son, and how they couldn't see beyond themselves. Stephanie could barely understand him, letting him speak for only a moment before stepping in. 

"Manny, hey, can you slow down? I can't understand you," She deadpanned, drawing the eyes of all in her vehicle with the exception of the newly refocused Mike, who was turning the car down a gravel road. 

"I'm sorry, I don't know what this is. I just, wow things got away from me, I.. wow.." Manny rambled continuously, trying desperately to bring himself back to normal. Stephanie started to help, talking him down from his evidently frenzied state when she heard Tyler call her name. 

"Hate to break up your conversation, but we're here." The words brought a chill down Stephanie's spine, which only worsened when she saw the strange clown face on the sign beckoning people into the town. The two cars stopped, pausing for a moment as if to let the groups collect themselves before they all opened the doors, the tension in the air mounting with each new person exiting the cars. 

And then, as if on cue, the gates creaked open, as if to welcome the poor souls to their town. The families stared at each other, wide eyed and on edge, no one exactly sure of what to do. 

"Guys!" Tyler said, pointing to a light, but expanding cloud of grey-white smoke. Stephanie stared at it intently, something within her knowing that answers were within that cloud as something emerged from it. For a moment, she was convinced her eyes were playing tricks on her, but sure enough, something was there. 

Two human figures, walking slowly, but with purpose, were headed right toward them. 

And before logic could catch up to the moment, Stephanie was walking right back toward them. 

She tuned out whatever was happening behind her, turning her attention only to the figures, still too far away to make out any specific features of. The groups approached each other, growing closer until recognition became possible, and in a moment:

Tyler froze

Molly screamed

Mike hit the ground 

And the world lifted off of Stephanie's chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So anyways I'm really excited for next chapter and I hope you are too. Feedback is always appreciated!


	15. Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors finally reunite with their families as the others finally begin the process of grieving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is almost pure fluff, which is rare for me, but I feel like all of us earned it. Hope you enjoy!

It was really happening. All of the pain, all of the fear, all of the doubt she had had in the past several weeks faded away, becoming so, _so _worth it. She was here, where it all was happening, she was right, and she actually made some form of a difference. She wasn't helpless anymore. He was home. They had won. She could hardly control her feet as they began to break into a run, her smile deepening as she finally drew near enough to hear his voice and see that wide, dopey smile that she missed more than words could describe.__

____"Oh god Steph," Mat said, his voice drenched in relief as he extended his arms to her tiredly, while still holding a stuffed pink horse in one of them. Stephanie didn't pay that any mind, instead embracing him tightly and laughing in elated disbelief, unable to even think of anything except for sweet, perfect relief. _He was here. She did it. _Tears started to fall on to her face as she rested her chin on his shoulder, leaning into his neck. Mat was smiling too, ducking his head into his wife's and letting himself relax for the first time since he came to this town.___ _ _ _

______"You did it," Stephanie whispered, smirking to herself "You're Home.” Mat gave an exhausted laugh, taking a moment to drink in the moment, but making sure to not lift his head, before responding._ _ _ _ _ _

________

___"I guess I did, didn't I," Mat smiled, laying his head on top of hers and sighing deeply, "God I missed you." After a moment of comforting silence, Stephanie pulled back a bit, still beaming and with tears in her eyes. She took a long moment just to look at him, smile widening by the second, as she pondered the news. Should she tell him now? There's already so many emotions flying around this gate, should she add to it?_ _ _

_____ _

_____ _

But he'd be so excited. He'd just gone through hell and somehow just got alive and visibly unscathed, he needed something good to happen soon, she could sense it. Mat's face turned into a curious smirk as he surveyed her face and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. 

"What's wrong Steph?" He asked almost playfully, tilting his head as Stephanie laughed dryly. She took a moment, rested a hand on his cheek and tried to start speaking, but she came up short. All this time, all this fear had lead up to this moment, where she knew she wouldn't have to go through having this baby without him, and yet at the finish line, she staggered. "Hey," Mat whispered to her, eyes glassy, "How bad can it be? I mean we made it this far." Stephanie smiled sheepishly, not missing his word choice, and took a moment to steady herself. 

"Mat I..." She trailed off into a quiet, pleased laugh, which only seemed to garner more curiosity from her husband, "I'm pregnant." He voice was barely above a whisper, but it was refreshed, happy. For the first time, she was able to say that phrase with hope in her eyes, and not the crushing dread that was quickly starting to fade away. Matthew's eyes grew wide, his jaw falling open and forming into a wide, yet stunned smile. 

"Steph, I.. Oh my.." He sputtered, letting out a nearly giddy laugh and kissing her forehead deeply, wrapping an arm around her without thinking. As they turned to go back to the car, Stephanie felt something shift in both herself and her husband. When they looked beyond each other, they could see, hear, and feel the pain they only barely avoided. Stephanie couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with anyone but Matthew, a feeling of guilt creeping up inside of her. Evidently, Mat felt the same way, his eyes almost locked on to Stephanie, as if looking at her would make the awful feelings around them go away. Mat gestured to Steph silently, squeezing her arm and looking to the other surivor, a woman decked out in a gaudy pink dress, who was hugging an older woman. 

"We're going to take the small car. There's enough room for the others in the van," Stephanie said, trying to keep her voice sensitive. The two women nodded, the older one taking the driver's seat as she went to guide Mat into the back seat.

"Just a sec, Steph," He whispered, tightening his grip on the horse and slowly, carefully approaching the other group of families, engaging Mike in a conversation. Stephanie could barely hear the conversation, but she saw her husband hand the horse to the two, his head hung and then slowly retreat back to her. She placed a hand on his back gently, rubbing it slightly as they sat down. She pulled the door shut, let the woman at the wheel start to pull out before lulling her head on to her husband's shoulder. They stayed like that for a few precious moments, simply reveling in each other's company. 

As the sky turned dark, and the women drove on, Mat began to laugh again, quietly, waking Stephanie up from her light nap. "I'm going to be a dad," He whispered proudly, his eyes glassy. Stephanie nodded, not moving her head from its post. He leaned down and kissed her hair gently, whispering softly and soothingly, "I'm so proud of you Steph. You never fail to amaze me." Stephanie smirked, turning her head to face him. 

"I love you." Mat laughed again, soft and delicate. 

"You certainly managed to prove that, didn't you," Stephanie raised her eyebrows at him, drawing another soft laugh, "And I love you too. More than I could explain." They sat like that for hours, Stephanie finally able to put her mind at rest, because she had her person, her partner, her husband. 

___Her survivor._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just good for me to write. I hope you liked it (like I said, I don't write much fluff, so my bad if it's not amazing, sorry!)


	16. The Board That's Not So Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group makes it back to the safe house, and Stephanie shows her husband what she's been working on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this is a satisfying chapter. Please enjoy.

As they pulled into the gates of the safe house, Stephanie felt her stomach turn. The rural roads combined with the whirlwind of emotions meant that communicating with the others had slipped their minds more than once. That meant that the people there had no clue who was coming back, and she was about to see what she saw at the gates of Everlock all over again. At this point, she was starting to think of ways to avoid going through any more gates in the near future. 

Mat was at the wheel and Stephanie sat next to him, resting a hand on his neck casually, as if they were simply going to get groceries, as if none of this had ever happened. He drove slowly, marveling at the expansive house she'd chosen. 

"You certainly spared no expense in finding a place for all of you to stay," Mat said, a twinge of sarcasm in his tone. Stephanie smirked, satisfied with herself. 

"What can I say? It met all of the qualifications perfectly, and all of us agreed to pitch in." Mat glanced at Stephanie for a moment, baffled. 

"You followed those?" 

"Of course I did. What's the point of having a plan for something like this if you don't use it?" Mat huffed, clearly pleased with himself. There was a moment of silence as the car made a final push into the driveway, stopping in front of the door that looked so much less imposing than it did just a few weeks ago. 

"Did it work?" Mat asked, his hand resting on the door handle. Stephanie stilled, looking over her husband, still dressed in that orange get up that she wasn't quite sure how to feel about and smiled. 

"You're here, aren't you?" Mat smiled sadly, pulling the door open and heading into the house, Stephanie quickly heading to his side. When they opened the doors, they were met with a scene neither could fully take in. 

There was Nikita and her family, standing beside them and surveying the room with wide eyes. There were several couples in various stages of clinging to each other, some in tears, others in shock. There were the Ballingers, frozen in a clump and staring at the survivors, so eerily similar to the way they looked just before Stephanie went to Everlock. There was Mike, Molly and the rest of their family, gathered in the kitchen, with that stuffed horse setting in the center of the circle. As awful as those were, it was the individual people who struck the two the most, however. There was Eva and Oli, introducing themselves to Nikita, several lone people crying in various places and on various levels, and then there was Tyler. Tyler was staring out the window on the other side of the living room, motionless. Stephanie averted her eyes quickly, unable to bring herself to really focus on anything except for the front of the room. 

"Steph," Mat whispered, tears in his eyes, "Can we go.. I'm sorry, it's just." 

"No problem, " Stephanie cut him off, realizing quickly where they should go, "Besides, I need to show you something." Mat gave her a confused look, before shaking his head playfully and following her to the closet. Stephanie pulled out the board, not bothering to untangle the new red strings, and carefully placed it in his hands. After only a moment, Mat dropped the board, bringing a hand over his mouth and laughing softly. Stephanie moved the board out of the way, moving to his side and resting a hand on his back. "What is it?" She whispered calmly, careful not to scare him. 

"Wow. I mean, I just, wow," Mat stammered, meeting Stephanie's eyes and smiling pridefully, "This is amazing." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You're right. All of this is right. This actually happened, in the order you have here, in the way you have here, how..." Stephanie blacked out for a second. She thought she was getting a runaround this whole time, being lied to and made to believe that some convoluted plot was taking place, and yet this whole time she was right. About everything. That meant she knew what happened to all of them, that meant... Oh. Wait. That meant... 

"So you died," Stephanie whispered, her tone completely even. It wasn't a question, just a somber, horrible fact. Mat looked at her, resignation in his eyes. 

"I wasn't going to tell you, not yet at least, with the baby and everything, I'm sorry." 

"I already knew," Stephanie whispered, dry and dark, "We all did." Mat closed his eyes, letting a tear leak out. 

"What do you mean." Stephanie sat back, gathering herself before continuing. 

"Well first you were panicked, and then you needed to find something, something relating to.." 

"Lazarus." Mat gasped, blurting the words out like a confession. "Steph, I'm so sorry you had to go through that, it must've been terrifying." Stephanie tried to respond, but her throat was dry, and she could only manage to nod before collapsing into him, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. They sat like that for a moment, an overwhelming feeling of safety washing over her before Mat sighed heavily and spoke again. 

"Will you come downstairs with me?" He asked delicately, offering her his arm. She smiled, but gave him a puzzled look. Mat sighed, breathing deeply before explaining. "They deserve to know, and I don't want to tell them alone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, next one's gonna be fun. How'd you like it? The support for this has been amazing, thank you so much!


	17. The Monsters of Everlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mat and Nikita come clean about what happened in Everlock to the families.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a heavy one, but here it is! Please enjoy!

She felt like she was about to be interrogated, sitting across from the families and resting her hand on her husband's back. Their eyes were sweeping over the pair and the woman sitting next to them, accusation dripping from their gaze. Eva mercifully stepped between them, looking at Mat and Nikita in turn before whispering, "Are you sure you want to do this?" The survivors exchanged a glance before returning to her with a nod. "Okay," she whispered, turning to the crowd, "Let's keep this civil, Mat, would you like to start?" Mat froze, closing his eyes and nodding slowly. 

"Should we just go in order?" Nikita said quietly and coldly, so matter-of-fact that it made Stephanie's skin crawl. Regardless, Mat nodded and began to speak. 

"I'm not gonna get into it, but JC had to choose a partner for his.. Challenge, and he chose me. No surprise, when I went up against Safiya, I lost, pretty badly," Stephanie's heart broke for Tyler when she saw him bow his head and smirk, "I still feel bad about that. I'm sorry." Kian caught his eye and smiled sadly, nodding as his eyes welled up. Stephanie's hand clasped around Mat's shoulder as she began to comfort him, when Nikita stepped in. 

"I won a challenge against Roi. Fair and square, it was him or me." Nikita's voice grew quiet toward the end, Monette staring at her in utter shock. There was a moment of uncomfortable, painful silence before Nikita continued. "Neither of us know what happened to Teala. It was her or Ro, and Ro one." Mat laughed lightly at first, the sound slowly descending into a much darker bellow. Stephanie felt her stomach drop. She knew exactly what happened next. Silently, she moved her hand down to cover Matthews, grasping it tightly. 

"Then came me. I lost, I got killed, and then I somehow wasn't anymore. Next, Nikita." Nikita glared at him, blinking exaggeratedly before settling. Stephanie didn't pay any mind to what Nikita was doing, instead silently checking in with her husband, and trying to quell the awful feeling that was gnawing at her. Kian's displeasure with her, Monette's admission about Roi winning, it all was making way too much sense. Nikita still didn't speak, which quickly began to anger Mat. "Next.. Nikita," He almost spat, trying not to pay much attention to her. 

"So what are you just gonna let me talk about Colleen all alone?" Nikita almost snapped, drawing an exhausted, angry glare from Matthew. 

"How would I know anything about that? I was kind of busy, considering I wasn't alive," Mat scoffed, earning surprise from Stephanie. Nikita laughed, almost mischievously, and stared at the floor while she spoke. 

"We had to vote for someone, and Joey made us all go for Colleen." The Ballingers clearly expected more, leaning in tearfully, but Nikita stopped cold, turning to Mat. He drew in a long, shakey breath and burying his head in his hand, using his other to squeeze Stephanie's. 

"It wasn't supposed to be Safiya." Tyler's head shot up, eyes wide. "She didn't lose anything, she didn't even get to compete. If she would've gotten the chance, she would've won. I..." He trailed off, burying his head into his hands. Tyler froze, his hands shaking slightly. Stephanie saw Mike and Molly tense in the background, bracing themselves for what was about to come. 

"Ro lost the next challenge," Nikita said quietly, relieving Mat of the need to explain, "It was quick. We um, we're sorry." No one spoke for a long minute, Mat frozen, Stephanie trying silently to get through to him. Nikita glared at Matthew, raising her eyebrow and quietly whispering, "Are you gonna go?" Mat glared at her in response, huffing angrily. 

"You're the one that killed him, why don't you talk about that one," He hissed under his breath, quietly enough to not draw the attention of the families. Nikita froze, drawing in a shaking breath and staring at the ceiling. 

"It was him or me. I made my choice." 

"You chose?" Manny Sr. asked, his tone accusatory. 

"Yes. I made my choice. I'm sorry." After a moment, Mat gave an exasperated laugh and shook his head, rising from his seat slowly. Stephanie stood up next to him, giving him a concerned look. 

"I can't do this Steph, not right now, not with her. Not when she's going to bend the truth like that." Concerned, but willing to listen, Stephanie took his hand and made her way out, stopping to grab the board before heading to their car. They drove home in near silence, Mat reclining in the passenger's seat and smiling contently the entire ride. 

When they finally arrived home, the two of them exited the car together and took a long, sweet moment to look at the house, and at each other. For the second time in only a few days, Stephanie felt a weight lift off of her chest, because by some miracle, she was able to keep her promise to herself. She was home. And she wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a really interesting idea for the next chapter, so I hope this is keeping you excited! Thank you for your support!


	18. Epilouge Part 1: Hello Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mat and Stephanie post an update, and the world begins to react to what happened in Everlock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, we're pulling back the camera, and taking a look at the aftershocks of Everlock that spanned far beyond the families. A few cameos in this chapter as well. I am so excited to hear what you think about this one!

The world watched with baited breath when Game Theory made its first upload for nearly a month. It was a simple and short video, only clocking in at a little over five minutes, but the honesty and pain in Mat's voice made everyone who watched it feel uneasy. Some pointed out Stephanie's behavior, amazed by her ability to stay so stoic on camera. Others simply didn't know how to feel. They had watched these people for years, their channels were a fixture of their childhoods, and yet those creators were gone, without so much as an explanation. Others still asked for answers from Tyler, Molly, Mike and even most of the Ballingers, but all of the victim's families were silent, taking the time to mourn. 

And then there were the people who had followed the string of strange disappearances, the people who were hooked on the strange, often macabre mystery that no one could seem to solve, no matter their level of experience. Those people were especially entranced, as they knew that Mat's video was one of a kind, the only survivor that showed his face mere days after he got home. Most of the others simply sent a short, cryptic message out on social media, never so much as making a public appearance until months later. Some of them theorized that his video marked a shift in the pattern, that perhaps it meant something would change. Mat didn't plan on giving any of the theories credence, regardless of how right they were, but he didn't deny the flicker of pride he felt for his fans and their willingness to hunt for the truth. They'd learn in time, but now, he needed to recover. 

Other creators reacted in a slew of different ways, some more impactful and swift than others. Most notably, Lilly Singh spearheaded the creation of a massive relief fund for the families that doubled as a fund to help with search and rescue efforts when they were needed. After Mat dissapeared, several prominent faces in the gaming community spoke out on their channels, the fear palpable in all of their videos. To them, it meant that the horror had gotten a lot closer to home, and the feeling of distance they had between them and the victims was dissipating all too quickly. The reception was especially warm to Mark's heartfelt speech, a plea to Joey Graceffa and anyone else who was involved to stop the violence, and to let the platform become a happy place again. He was so determined to meet this goal that he announced a year-long second channel, where he and a few of his friends would simply do what makes them, and the viewers happy. He and so many others knew they might only have a year to live, so he decided to make the most of it. 

Then there were the creators who did the opposite. There were no new videos from them for long periods of time, the only confirmation their desperate fans could get that they weren't among the victims was the occasional post, which seemed detached, and inauthentic. Christine was one of the most notorious examples of this, reverting back to simple tutorials that were completely void of the sarcasm and wit that the world had grown to love about her. The rest of the Ballinger family was also extremely sparse on social media, but the world seemed to respect that more so than others, simply and rightfully chalking it up to grief. 

But perhaps the loudest, most fascinating response to the strange pattern that had become so well established was the reaction of the mainstream media, and inevitably, the gossip circles. There were claims of a grand conspiracy by the company itself to draw attention back to it after other startups were beginning to take their traffic. Whispers of faking, and the whole thing simply being a desperate cry for attention from the victims were nearly deafening to those who went through it, and now were fighting hard to preserve the legacy of their loved ones. 

In that effort, they thankfully were nowhere near alone. 

Almost as soon as the survivors were revealed, tributes from fans stared pouring in. They came in all shapes, sizes, mediums, and methods, some simply being a concise post about the impact they had on their lives, and others long, meaningful pieces about the way that many of the people changed, or even saved, some lives. A graffiti artist tagged one of the largest spaces recorded with a detailed mural of all of the fallen. Sephora and Bath and Body Works held moments of silence, and started producing memorial products for Safiya, the most popular being a simple black lipstick called "Wings." Some of America's highest-brow restaurants offered free desserts in honor of YouTube's best baker. There were dedications, songs preformed in the honor of the victims, all pieces of light and life and memory. Art pieces of massive scale sprung up everywhere, people smattering guavas, wide open red lips and so, so many notes to the victims, a particular one in New York City standing loud and proud in the center,

"You changed more lives than you could ever know; now let us make sure no one forgets yours." 

It was a sentiment that rang true through every memorial, every dedication, every testimonial that someone took the time to make. Those people were more than a victim. More than a loser, more than an unfortunate consequence of their situation. They had changed lives, and had mobilized a generation to make sure that no one would ever forget that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, was it worth it? Thought I'd try something new. Thank you so much for your support! 
> 
> Also, mad respect to anyone that catches all the other creators references. I may have had too much fun doing that part...


	19. Epilouge Part 2: The Dutchess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost a year after Stephanie and her husband reunited, he comes home once again, this time for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to wrap this fic up! Enjoy this short little bow on the story.

Stephanie busied herself with her son the entire week that he was on his "mission." She briefly tried to convince him not to go, but when she heard the details, when she heard that it could potentially mean saving Ro, she knew there wasn't a point. When the day came when he would leave, she took in every detail of his appearance. He was wearing a darker, sleeker outfit than his detective attire, his hair slicked back and a dopey, yet melancholy grin across his face. She missed the days when he could smile without that sadness, when things weren't so strange, and so often so sad. 

"How do I look?" He asked playfully, turning dramatically. Stephanie laughed quietly. 

"It's a better color on you than orange, that's for sure." He laughed dryly, closing in the gap between them. They embraced for a moment, both relishing in the safety of the moment. After a long second of the pair simply being together and in the moment, Mat reluctantly broke free, huffing as he stepped toward the door. "Hey!" Stephanie blurted, drawing Mat's attention immediately, "Tell Ro I said hi. And if you can, bring her back with you." Mat smiled earnestly, eyes slightly wet. 

"I love you Steph." Stephanie smiled, blowing him a theatrical kiss on his way out the door. He smiled as he left, lingering outside of the door for just a moment, before sighing and heading to his car. 

And thus began one of the worst weeks of Stephanie's life. Sure, it paled in comparison to the incident, and the awful months with the others, but something was different time. She wasn't naive, she wasn't stupid enough to think that he wasn't in danger, but something inside her felt so cheated. Like she had worked so painstakingly hard to get her husband back, only to have him whisked away once again to a place and time with an equally uncertain level of safety. 

And now, she had another element to the equation. The very young, very confused little human that she was tasked with taking care of. She remembers fighting so hard to give him his dad, and now, after some of the earliest milestones had been celebrated, and before he could form any memories of Mat, he had to be dragged away once again. It wasn't fair, nothing about this was fair, and that thought took over her mind most days. 

When it did, though, she always reminded herself just how lucky she was. She could've been Mike, who hadn't posted anything online, hadn't even made a public appearance, one full year after the incidents. She could've been Tyler, who continued projects he and Saf had planned on his own, but who was followed by a cloud of pity and mourning. But she wasn't. She gets to have her partner in her life, she gets to continue perusing her goals, she gets to have a complete family. 

Friday came, and there was a knock at the door. She was waiting for this moment, begging with everything she had that it would come. And so she walked to the door, her son in her arms, and opened it to a smiling, but exhausted Mat. He held his arms out wide, putting on a goofy smile for the boy in her arms. The baby's face flashed in recognition, cooing a loud and elated "Daddy!" 

"Did he?" Mat asked, sweat still dripping from his forehead. Stephanie nodded happily, falling into the arms of her husband. The boy reached around his father's neck, drawing a look of concern from Stephanie. Mat had been.. Touchy about that area after he came home, but it didn't seem to phase him. 

"Are they home?" Steph asked, not moving her head to look at him. 

"Colleen is." Stephanie sighed sadly. 

"So she.." 

"I saw her. I got to say sorry, and tell her we miss her up here. But she didn't get out." Stephanie huffed, hugging her husband tighter. 

"Just promise you won't answer an invitation from anyone any time soon, and if you do, bring me with you." Stephanie asked in a deadpan, but lighthearted tone. He laughed softly, pulling her in tighter. 

"I have this. Why would I need to?" With a soft smile, and a kiss to the forehead, Matthew Patrick was home, for good, because they made a plan. And by some miracle. 

That's all it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been overwhelmed by the love this story has gotten. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support. I plan on starting new works soon, so I might see you on another page! Thanks again, and be good humans.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments make my day, and mean a lot! Tell me your predictions, ideas, and thoughts down below!


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